Protect Your Investment: Preparing Your Home for Winter

As a homeowner, you want to keep your investment fully protected. After all, no homeowner wants to undergo a huge expense or see their home get damaged in any way. If you live in an area that experiences harsh winters, you know these brutal conditions can wreak havoc on your home. Instead of allowing Mother Nature to destroy your favorite place, it’s important to take the right steps to get your home protected for the winter weather.

Take out your screens.

Window screens are a great way for you to let in fresh air while keeping bugs at bay, but the winter weather can do more harm than good to these screens. If you don’t feel like replacing them every year, take them out before the winter weather starts to hit. If you need to open a window in the winter, you can do so without worrying about bugs getting inside, as most of these critters have died off for the season. Store your screens somewhere safe and then pop them back in when spring finally arrives.

Seal your concrete driveway.

If you have a concrete driveway or walkway, harsh winter weather can result in scaling or cracking. Instead of having to deal with a broken or ugly driveway in the spring, use concrete sealer to protect your driveway. This sealer will help keep your concrete safe from the weather conditions, which means you won’t have to spend money to fix it when the weather gets warmer.

Fix roof issues.

Before the weather turns, get up on the roof and see if there are any signs of damage that need fixing. If so, get this done before the winter. Snow and ice will only continue to make this area poor, and it could result in your roof giving in or having water leak into your home. Be sure to look at the roof tiles as well as feel around for how the baes of the roof is doing. If you feel your roof could be fully replaced, have this done before the winter to ensure your home is fully protected. Protecting your roof in the winter will give you peace of mind and save you money in the long run.

Fix your furnace.

You will need to heat your home in the winter, so getting adequate heating repair for the winter is a must. Have your furnace and HVAC system checked by a professional. If they notice signs of damage or mention your unit could be serviced, do it. This allows you to have a fully functioning furnace that will keep your home warm when the weather gets cold.

If you have a fireplace in your home, you’ll want to have this checked as well. Using a fireplace is a great way to warm up an area and provide extra heat for your home, but if it’s not working properly, it could put you in harm’s way. It’s better to have this issue looked at before the winter strikes to ensure you and your family are ready to be warm and toasty when the weather is cold.

Run your water.

If the temperatures in your area are scheduled to get below freezing, your home is at risk of having your pipes freeze. If this happens, they could burst, which could cause a significant amount of damage to your home. Instead, be sure to leave a little bit of water running in your sinks to keep the water flowing. As long as the water is moving, it will not freeze. In addition to keeping the water dripping, you could also insulate around your pipes and open cabinets to allow warm temperatures to get inside.

Trim your trees.

If you have trees near your home, be sure to look for any branches that could cause winter damage. For instance, smaller branches could freeze and break, and if these branches are near windows, roofs, or power lines, it could put your home in harm’s way. Be sure to look for these issues and trim down the trees that could potentially cause harm.

Check fire and carbon monoxide detectors.

Your home should be equipped with fire and carbon monoxide detectors, and you want to ensure these are all working. By doing so, you can rest assured your family will be protected in the event there’s an issue in your home.

Keeping your home protected during the winter is important, and using these tips will get you ahead of the game so you can have a peaceful and less expensive winter.